Details of the crashes and the names of the
aircrew involved
appear on this page. Please contact
us if you are related to somebody on the
list, or know of a
photograph of them. If original photographs or papers
are still in the
family, we can help to caption photographs and explain
the codes and
nicknames that were used at the time. We appreciate
the opportunity to
copy original material for the museum's archive.

The Midland Aircraft
Recovery Group has found the sites of
many of the crashes, but we are still looking for a
significant number,
so we'd like to hear from anyone who can pinpoint
a crash that
we've listed. We are always looking for
photographs, log books and
anecdotes relevant to the units based in the Midlands.

The
details
below are have been compiled from numerous sources of
information in the public domain over many years.
We've done our best,
but errors are inevitable. Please contact us if you
have more accurate
information on any of the crashes or people listed, or
can add the
names of crew that we haven't traced. Thank you.

12 November 1938, Bristol Blenheim I , L1208 of 139
Squadron crashed at
Rugeley
following a fire in the air. The pilot, Flying Officer
R.D. Tate and
the
two other crew members were killed.

28 April 1939, North American Harvard, N7019 of 10 Flying
Training
School
crashed at Gailey after stalling during a forced landing.

20 November 1939, Bristol Blenheim L4887 of 101 Squadron
crashed whilst
making
a forced landing 2.5 miles s.w. of R.A.F. Lichfield. The
crew of three:
Pilot
Officer C.P.N. Newman, Leading Aircraftsman Johnson and
Leading
Aircraftsman
F.J. Mantle were unhurt.

11 April 1941, Boulton Paul Defiant N3460 of 256 Squadron,
Squires
Gate,
was on a defensive patrol over Birmingham when an
alternator failure
caused
loss of the flying instruments. As they were unable to
radio for
assistance,
the aircraft was abandoned by its crew and crashed near
Cheslyn Hay.
The
pilot, Sergeant R. Dean broke his ankle on landing, but
his gunner,
Sergeant
Robinson was uninjured.Sergeant Dean was killed 19 July
1943 when the
aircraft
he was flying, Oxford HN772 broke up in the air over West
Bromwich.

24 April 1941, Miles Magister N3789 of 16 Elementary
Flying Training
School
stalled on approach to Burton-Upon-Trent Relief Landing
Ground.

25 June 1941, Heinkel He111 WNr3839, of 3/KG4 was on
abombing
mission to
Liverpool when it was shot down by a Beaufighter of 25
Squadron, crewed
by
Pilot officer L.D. Britain and Pilot Officer D.W.Thompson.
The aircraft
was
abandoned and crashed at Lullington. Obl J. Schwartz was
killed when
his
parachute failed to open, St Fw H. Glowski, Obergefr F.
Ertzinger and
Fw
W. Koller were injured.

6 July 1941, Miles Magister N3812 of 5 Elementary Training
School,
dived
into the ground at Wombourne.

10 July 1941, Vickers Wellington Ic T2467 of 27
Operational Training
Unit,
Lichfield suffered a burst tyre on take off, overshot and
hit an
obstruction.
The crew were unhurt.

19 July 1941, Vickers Wellington Ic, R1366 of 27
Operational Training
Unit,
Lichfield suffered an engine failure and hit a hangar. The
crew: Sgt
R.L.Cox
and his two companions were injured

30 July 1941, Spitfire II, P7825 of 403 Squadron dived
into the ground
near
Cosford following loss of control in cloud.

10 August 1941, Vickers Wellington Ic, R1086 of 27
Operational Training
Unit
reported destroyed in an accident at Lichfield Aerodrome.
There is no
indication
of casualties.

22 October 1941, Miles Master N7485 of 5 Flying Training
School, Tern
Hill,
dived into the ground at Gnosall. The pilot, Sgt Maurice
Délécray of
the Free French
Airforce, was killed. (Délécray was his nom de
guerre; his French
name was Armand Paul Bayard.)